Green eyed Stranger
by Sophia24
Summary: Bella starts work at a cafe where she meets Edward, her 'green-eyed stranger'. All Human. Full summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer and don't own Twilight

**Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyer and don't own Twilight.**

**Authors note: ok, I had an idea for a story and just wanted to see if you think I should continue it. I'm not sure how good it is but I'm going to start the first chapter soon and I will post it if I get enough responses. **

**Ok, believe it or not, I first got this idea in a dream…****I'm not sure how I managed to get this story from that dream because it was completely random but here it is. This is basically what I think of when I'm day-dreaming at work (that happens a lot). **

**Anyway, I am not going to have any Americanisms in this story because I u****sually manage to confuse myself so it's set in Scotland. I actually based it at my own work but I'm not sure how it's going to work out…**

**Ok, so here's the plot…please tell me what you think and if I should continue it or not….**

Green-eyed stranger

Bella is a 16 year old girl, nearly 17, and one of four. Her older sister, Alice, is 19 years old. Her younger brothers, Jacob and James, are ages 15 and 6, respectively. She just starts work at a café owned by her brother, Jacob's, girlfriend's parents. While there she meets a 'green-eyed stranger' and brother of one of her best friends, Emmett. She gets to know Edward gradually while at work, who suspiciously comes into the café a lot more than he should. What could be the reason for this? A hidden attraction, perhaps?

**A/N: so that's it. It will be an all human story, obviously. It should be better than it sounds and I already have a few ideas for it. I couldn't resist having James in there but he will be a typical little brother and not completely evil. Well, no more evil than little boys naturally are. Jasper and Rosalie will also be in the story. And Jake's girlfriend will be none other than Nessie. So, review and give me some advice please. **


	2. First Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters…Stephanie Meyer does

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters…Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Authors note: I hope you enjoy this story!**

First meeting

Today was the first day of my work at the café in a small village I lived near. It was situated in a gardening centre that also contained a florist and small shop so you could buy books, c.d's, sweets and even clothes as well as the usual things like plants.

It was actually owned by my brother's girlfriend's parents. Confusing, or what? Nessie, my brother, Jacob's girlfriend, had actually been the one to suggest I got a weekend job when I was complaining about the fact that I probably wouldn't be able to afford petrol for a car if I got one when I sat and, hopefully, passed my test in a couple of months time. I'm actually not sure why I didn't think of it before. I was the simplest solution. My older sister, Alice, had a job so why shouldn't I?

That was certainly a disadvantage of being one of four; we didn't exactly have much money to spare or unnecessary things and didn't get much pocket money for ourselves. That didn't bother me that much. I was never one for going to the shops with friends every weekend and spending ridiculous amounts of money on clothes. Alice would probably do something like that but since her job involved working on the weekends and during the week when she didn't have any lectures at the university to go to, she only managed to shop once a week and, thankfully, it was a week day when I'm at school or she would have forced me into coming with her.

Alice still stayed at home with me, Jacob, James, my youngest brother, and my mum and dad because the university was near by. Only about half an hour drive from where we lived and she had a car of her own so it was no problem for her to travel.

It was also now the summer holidays so we were all stuck at home, getting annoyed from being around each other so much. It was usually Jake and James who had all the arguments. Jake would tease James about him and his best friend, Vicky, then James would get annoyed and either attack Jake, although he was half his size, or plot revenge. That usually consisted of a series of pranks until James felt he was satisfied with his plotting. Most of the time he would set them up and Alice and I would get caught in the cross fire.

Because it was the summer holidays I would be working more than I usually would during term so I could be trained quicker. It was Tuesday today and Nessie's mum said it was usually quietest today so it would be easier for me to learn without being pressured by a rush of people. I was also told I was just an extra so I would be helping out with a bit of everything; on the till, clearing tables and helping with the dish washer. I was working a short shift as well because it was my first day; only 11-4.

I sat in the passenger seat of Alice's Porsche. She had received it when she passed her test, a few weeks after her seventeenth birthday. She had been saving up for it for two years and had put her well-earned money towards it as well as mum and dad paying for half.

It was only about a ten minute drive from my house to the café but about an hour walk so Alice had offered to give me a ride which I was extremely grateful for. I fidgeted in my seat repeatedly, earning annoyed glances from Alice every few minutes. My nerves were really starting to get to me and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. I had a feeling something would happen today, one of those feelings that fills your chest with anxiety, and with my clumsiness, I knew it couldn't be a good thing. I continued shifting in my seat and went through a metal checklist to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. Work shirt on? Check. Black trousers? Check. Black shoes? Check. Hair up? Check. Apron? Check. I hadn't forgotten something so the anxiety couldn't be a result from that.

Alice pulled into the car park of the garden centre and slowed to a stop but kept the engine running. I took in a deep breath and opened the car door.

"Calm down, Bella. You'll be fine." Alice said, leaning towards the open passenger door that I had just stepped out of. "I'll be back to pick you up at 4 and just try not to fall or drop anything, you know what your like."

I rolled my eyes at and sighed. "Thanks, Alice. I'm glad you have so much faith in my ability to embarrass myself." I said sarcastically. I slammed the car door shut on her laughter and heard her shout in protest at my 'disrespect' towards her car. If you ask me, she was way too protective of that car. Although, I supposed if I spent the amount of money she did on a car, I would be protective of it too.

I waved as she drove out of the car park and down the road in the direction of our house. This was it. My first day of work. I couldn't put it off any longer. Now all I had to do was concentrate on not making a fool of myself which is easier said than done.

I took in another deep breath in an attempt to calm myself, which didn't work, and raised my hand to open the door of the garden centre. I looked at my hand and saw it shaking with nerves. I pulled open the door and walked in, shutting it behind me. I had been in here a few times before so I knew where I was going, thank goodness. It would be extremely embarrassing if I had to ask for directions to my own work. I walked slowly, nervously, towards the door leading outside. The main building of the garden centre sold the plant pots, garden ornaments and other gardening equipment then outside was where all the plants and benches were kept.

I walked along the small path leading to the café as I contemplated whether I should go in the main entrance or the door for staff only. I decided on the staff entrance and opened the door hesitantly, poking my head in for a quick look around then stepped into the kitchen. The kitchen was pretty small and only enough room for about six people to move around in without getting in each others way. Although, when it was busy I was sure that was bound to happen. To my left were two sinks then the large dish washer beside them. Two fridges sat beside the dishwasher with a cooker next to them. The opposite wall from me was lined with counter tops which lead towards the counter. A large cake cabinet was joined to the counter, slightly to my right, and stopped before meeting the wall so there was a place for staff to get in and out of the kitchen to take people their meals. In the middle of the room was a long counter top for the salad bar and running along side it was a large freezer then a small one beside it with a glass top so I could see the ice cream and cakes inside it. There were two windows in the walls above the sink and on the opposite side of the room above the work surfaces.

I glanced around the room and saw that Nessie and Angela, a friend from school, were the only ones in the kitchen at the moment. They were standing at the side of the dishwasher, leaning against the sinks, talking to each other. I could only hear faint chatter coming from the main part of the café so it was extremely quiet with nothing for Nessie or Angela to do.

They both looked up at me simultaneously when I stepped through the door and smiled warmly. "Hi, Bella. How's Jake?" Nessie asked walking towards me. Jake and Nessie were in the same year at school and had been together for about two years. They were inseparable and they're favourite topic in conversation was each other.

I laughed and rolled my eyes at her. "You saw him yesterday, Nessie." I said and felt more relaxed than I had a few minutes ago. I was so glad now that I knew some people here or I was sure I would have been completely shy and hardly speak to anyone.

"So?" She asked and looked at me expectantly for an answer.

"I don't know. I didn't see him this morning. You know how he loves his lie-ins. You see him more than I do." I smiled at her then glanced around the kitchen again. "Nessie, where's everyone else?" I asked with a slight frown on my face. Surely there wouldn't just be us three working all day.

"They're all having breakfast." She shrugged then continued to explain when she saw my puzzled look. "If you come in before 10 O'clock, or eleven on Sundays, then you get to have breakfast at about this time." She said as I nodded. I knew I would get my lunch for free but I had no idea about breakfast, although it didn't apply to me since I was in at eleven.

"Hang up you jacket over there, Bella." Nessie said indicating to a corner in the main café area between the drinks cabinet and the fire escape. "Then I'll show you around and tell you how to work the dish washer and coffee machine." She smiled at me and I hung up my coat in the corner. I walked back over to her and she lead me to the dish washer then demonstrated what to do. It was simple enough. All I had to do was fill the large tray with dirty dishes, slide it in, pull the lid down then, when it was finished, open it and unload the tray. I just had to concentrate on dropping anything and I would be ok.

She led me over to the counter and proceeded to demonstrate how to work the till. I just had to type in the prise of the items the customer ordered (there was a menu beside the till which listed the prises of things so I wouldn't have to ask repeatedly), press a 'v' button, when I was finished typing in I would press the sub-total button then cash tend and the drawer would open. It was a bit more complicated than working the dish washer but if I got enough practise, I thought I would be ok and the best part was; if I was on the till I was less likely to break dishes or trip because I didn't need to move around much.

Next was the hard part; remembering how to make all the different types of drinks. I didn't know so many different kinds existed. Tea, coffee (black and white) and hot chocolate were simple enough but I began to get confused when Nessie went on to explain cappuccinos, lattes, espressos and americanos. Who knew coffee could be so complicated? I was beginning to panic about not remembering how to make all the different kinds.

"Bella, if you get stuck and can't remember, just ask me, Angela or any of the other girls. We'll help; you don't have to worry about remembering everything just now." Nessie said soothingly and I smiled appreciatively at her. The rest of the workers came back from their breakfast break just then and I soon found out that they were all extremely friendly. Carol, Nessie's mum, owned the café and Lorraine, who worked here part time while working at a nursery during the week, Rebecca and Nicole who were only a year older than me were doing college courses so they could have enough qualifications to go to university.

I started off by loading and emptying the dish washer but was only doing that for about ten minutes before I dropped a plate on the floor. Nobody told me they would be boiling hot when they came out but I guess I should have realised. Luckily, it didn't break but I had embarrassed myself within ten minutes of arriving. So I was now standing at the till, leaning my elbow against it and waiting for a customer to come. I leaned forwards on the counter, trying to see the door. The main café had 17 tables but only one table was occupied by an elderly couple. Even though it was the summer holidays it was really quiet so I supposed most people had stayed in or gone on holiday to a warmer climate because the skies were filled with dark clouds so I doubted anyone had gone to the beach.

I glanced up at the clock and saw it was only 11.30. I only had another four and a half hours, but who's counting?

"Bella, Can you put these away for me please?" I snapped out of my boredom and turned to Angela who was holding out two glass cups. I nodded and took them from her. The cupboard that the glasses belonged in was under the counter so I was obviously blocking her way. I opened the cupboard and crouched down, placing the newly cleaned glasses in upside down, like the rest.

I heard someone clearing their throat to get my attention on the other side of the counter and stood up quickly, blinking a couple of times to rid the dizziness of my head rush. My eyes focused and I found myself staring into a pair of bright green eyes only inches away from me. I took a small step back, surprised at the proximity of me and this green-eyed stranger. He had obviously been leaning across the counter to look down at me before I stood up. A light blush tinted his cheeks and he pulled back, dropping his arms off the counter.

I dropped my gaze to the floor, blushing furiously, and then looked back up at him. His tousled bronze coloured hair fell into his eyes slightly and he smiled crookedly at me. I continued to stare at him, completely speechless. He was the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. Absolutely everything about him was perfect. I could actually hear my heart pounding in my ears and my breathing was coming out in short gasps as I stood in awe of his appearance. His chuckled broke my daze and I shook my head to clear it. I blushed bright red as I realised I had been staring at him for goodness knows how long.

"Em…sorry. What can I get for you?" I stammered and focused my eyes down on the counter top to try and hide my embarrassment. I had a feeling that I vaguely recognised him but I was sure if I had seen him before, I wouldn't forget him. He was the kind of person you would remember even if you only had a small glance at him. He was too gorgeous to forget.

"I'll have a coffee, please." He said simply but I could hear the amusement in his voice which caused me to blush deeper as I cursed that particular reaction. Sure, I would embarrass myself on a regular basis but blushing so much just added to the embarrassment and that in turn would make me blush more, and so on and so forth. It was a vicious circle. No matter what, I would be embarrassed for a long time after the initial incident that caused my embarrassment in the first place.

"Right, um, would you like a cup or mug of coffee?" I asked, trying to remember the different questions I would need to ask and this handsome stranger in front of me wasn't helping with my concentration.

"Mug, please."

"And is that black or white coffee?" I asked and risked a glance up at him through my eyelashes. Not only was I nervous because it was my first day but he had to come in and distract me, not that he was doing it deliberately but it had the same effect.

"I think I'll have white, please." He said with a smile on his face as he looked at me intently.

"Right, is that with cold or hot milk?"

"What is this, twenty questions?" He asked playfully and chuckled. My blush had been beginning to fade but, as predicted, darkened at his comment. I didn't know what was wrong with me. Usually, I would blush a lot when I was embarrassed but not this much. "I'll have hot milk, thanks." I nodded my head and turned to make his coffee, trying to focus my full attention on it.

I filled the jug with milk and turned the dial to heat it. I tapped my fingers against the side of the jug to feel the temperature of it. Basically, if it was too hot to touch, the milk was hot enough. I turned my head slightly towards him and gave him a small smile which he returned with his amazing crooked grin.

"So, you're new here?" He asked, leaning his forearms on the top of the counter.

I laughed nervously and nodded. "Yeah, is it that obvious?" A light blush covered my cheeks and I turned towards him slightly. "It's my first day of work here. Well, actually, it's my first hour." I said with a shrug then looked towards him curiously. "I've not seen you in this village before." I stated thoughtfully. I spent most of my time in the village where the café was situated because most of my friends lived here, including Rosalie. She was technically Alice's friend and was in the same year at school as her but I used to hang around with Alice a lot when I was younger so the three of us became good friends.

"I just moved here. I'm going to university after the summer and it's easier to travel from here than where I used to stay. My brother moved here as well for the same reason a few years ago and my parents wanted to live closer to us so they moved as well. They were both offered jobs near by anyway so they accepted them." He shrugged and a light blush spread across his cheeks. "Sorry, I'm rambling a bit, aren't I?" He asked looking up at me sheepishly.

I let out a soft laugh and shook my head. "Don't worry about it. I do that all the time." I assured him and couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face. He looked adorable when he was embarrassed. "You're going to university? So, you're what, eighteen?" I asked, tilting my head to the side as I waited for his answer. To say I was disappointed that he was going to university in a few months would be an understatement, even though I had only just met him. At least I would have all the holidays to talk to him and try to look at him inconspicuously. That is, if he decided to come in here during the holidays.

"Yeah, I just turned eighteen a few months ago. What about you?" He nodded his head and continued to smile at me.

"I'm turning seventeen in a couple of month's time. I really can't wait until I'll be legal to drive." I said, letting my obvious excitement about that fact show through my voice. I was sure that when I actually managed to buy a car it would just sit in the drive way and look nice because I seriously doubted I could afford to afford the petrol for it, especially since the prices in petrol had risen dramatically recently.

I then realised that the milk was hot enough and I turned the dial to turn of the steam. I poured the filter coffee into the mug until it was half-full then filled it up with milk. I placed the mug with a saucer underneath it on the tray in front of him. "Is that everything?" I asked and looked up at him to see him nod slightly. I slowly typed the price into the till and pressed the sub total button. So far, so good. "That's £1.40, please." He gave me the money and I gave him his change in return.

"Thank you. I'm Edward, by the way." He said, grinning at me as he picked up his coffee. The name sounded familiar and I was beginning to get annoyed at my lack of recognition.

"You're welcome. I'm Bella." I said with a small smile which he returned then watched him walk away towards a table. I rested my arms on the counter and leaned on it to get a better look at him while he had his back to me so he wouldn't notice my staring.

"Am I wrong in thinking you fancy him, Bella?" The sound of the voice beside me made me jump in surprise and snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked towards Nessie, who had a sly smile on her face as I blush at her comment and being caught staring. "I don't blame you, he is quite good-looking."

"Are you forgetting you're currently going out with my brother?" I asked in a poor attempt to get the attention off me.

"Of course not, he may be good-looking but Jake is absolutely gorgeous. And kind. And sweet. And wonderful. And just perfect. In everyway." She said wistfully and winked at me.

I cringed in disgust. That was exactly the kind of information I really didn't want to hear about my brother and any…antics he may partake in. yuck. I really shouldn't have said anything, just grinned and bared it.

Half an hour after a successful attempt to escape that unwanted conversation I was still standing at the counter glancing slyly, I hoped, at Edward who was sitting at a table reading a newspaper, his arms stretched out in front of him as he held it open. I may have imagined it but I was sure, on the few rare occasions I wasn't looking at him that I saw him glancing up at me out of the corner of my eye.

"Eddie! What are you still doing here, little bro?" The booming voice sounded even louder than normal in the quiet coffee shop. I looked towards the door and smiled as I saw the person the voice belonged to. Emmett. He was one of my best friends and Rose's long term boyfriend. He was twenty years old and had been at university for two years.

It was then that I realised what he had said and I understood why I thought I vaguely recognised Edward. They were brothers. I didn't know why I didn't realise it before. Although there were differences in their build and hair colour they certainly had a family resemblance between them.

Edward kept his eyes focused on the paper he was reading but I could see the frustration through his calm façade. "Emmett, call me 'Eddie' one more time and you'll be walking home." He stated calmly and I could hear his voice clearly over the quiet chatter of the two other occupied tables.

Emmett ignored his comment and walked over to me with a smile on his face, as usual. "Hey, Bella, How's your first day going?" He asked as he stopped to stand on the other side of the counter from me. Emmett worked in the garden centre and would come into the café daily for his lunch.

"It's ok, a bit boring because it's so quiet though." I shrugged and glanced towards Edward in what I thought was a sly manner. Apparently not because Emmett looked in the direction of my glance and the smile on his face widened causing me to blush.

"I see you've already met my brother, then, Bella." He said, glancing between us. I bit my bottom lip and nodded as I looked back over at Edward. I couldn't help it. My eyes were drawn to him. Edward glanced up towards us and saw that we were watching. A light blush crossed his cheeks and he dropped his gaze. Emmett chuckled at Edward's embarrassment and turned back towards me, grinning.

I rolled my eyes at him and sighed. "Did you come in here for lunch or to embarrass me?" I asked, trying to sound irritated but that was a hard task when you were around Emmett and his happy personality.

"Lunch, you can embarrass yourself enough without my help." He said seriously then a smile spread across his face. At least he had moved on from questioning me about Edward, even if it was to tease me about my natural ability to embarrass myself. Sometimes I wondered how Alice and I could be related. She was so graceful and I was so clumsy, we were complete opposites.

"Oh, ha-ha." I said sarcastically, although I was used to his teasing so it didn't affect me much. "So, why is Edward here?" I asked trying not to sound as interested as I was about him.

Emmett looked at me suspiciously then shrugged. "He gave me a lift in. My jeep's in the garage for an MOT and I asked if he'd drive me." I nodded when he said that and tried to repress the small smile that spread across my face. If that was the case then Emmett's car would be in the garage for at least a few days which would mean Edward would give him a lift in to work so I would be able to see more of him. I only hoped Emmett would be working on the same days as me but I didn't think that was likely. Oh well, I could hope, couldn't I?

I took Emmett's order and he went to sit at the same table as Edward with his back to me so if I did try and sneak glances, which was very likely, Emmett wouldn't have the chance to catch me doing it.

Edward left not long after that but he had stayed there for about fort-five minutes. A lot longer than the normal time it would take to consume one cup of coffee. The rest of the day was extremely boring because hardly any customers came in so I was on the till for the rest of the day which gave me a lot of practice. Nessie's mum knew me well enough not to let me anywhere near the dishes unless it was absolutely necessary.

The day dragged on and at four o'clock I got my wages for the day and walked out into the car park. It wasn't hard to find Alice because her bright yellow Porsche stood out like a sore thumb. She was standing at the driver's door, leaning against the car as she waited for me. As I walked over to her a movement to my right caught my attention and I turned my head towards it. Edward was standing beside a shiny silver Volvo, just a few parking spaces away from Alice's Porsche. He lifted his hand and waved at me, a crooked grin lighting up his face. I smiled shyly and waved back, a blush lighting up my cheeks.

I hurried over to the Porsche and got in before I could make a fool of myself in front of Edward. Alice was already sitting in the driver's seat behind the wheel when I stepped into the car and immediately turned to me with a smile on her face. It was a smile I knew all to well. Usually it meant trouble and as always, now was no different.

"So, Bella, are you going to tell me what's going on between you and your green-eyed stranger?"

**A/N: ta-da! Sorry it took so long but this is the longest chapter I have ever written so it took me longer than I expected. I'm working on the next chapter for 'So it begins' so that should be out within the next few days…hopefully.**


	3. Typical Family

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight****…or Disney.**

**Authors note: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out but I was away from Tuesday to Friday then had to work on Saturday but here it is now. I decided to just dedicate this chapter to Bella's family but Edward will be in the next chapter.**

Typical family

I had managed to avoid most of the awkward questions that Alice asked about Edward but Alice was nothing if not persistent so the main thought running through my mind as she pulled into the drive way in front of our house was to get away from her as quickly as possible before I accidentally said something I didn't want to.

She put the car into park and I leapt out of it before she had even turned the engine off, admittedly stumbling in my haste to escape Alice's interrogation. I hurried to the front door of the house and pushed it open. Jacob had stayed home today to baby-sit Jamie and his friend, Vicky. That was usually my job but because I had been working, Jake was forced into it.

I stepped in through the front door and looked around in shock at the devastation. Toys were scattered everywhere and there was a trail of crisps leading down the hall and into the open-plan sitting room and kitchen. The framed pictures hanging from the walls were squint and a flower vase that had been sitting on a small table in the hall was on the floor, spilling its contents onto the carpet but, thankfully, still in one piece. Jamie usually left a trail of destruction in his wake if he wasn't supervised properly and when he was with Vicky he was ten times worse than on his own. That, combined with the fact that he didn't particularly like Jake, made this kind of mess inevitable.

I walked carefully down the hall, following the trail of crumbs and watching my feet constantly to make sure I wouldn't trip over the many toys lying haphazardly on the floor. I could hear music blasting from the stereo in the sitting room increasing in volume as I made my way closer to it.

I entered the room and couldn't help smiling at the scene in front of me. The room was in a complete mess, cushions and toys everywhere, with Jamie and Vicky holding hands, dancing around in circles and singing as loud as they could to the current Disney song that was playing.

"In Upandi,

Where the passion fruit grows sweet

And it's so divine that you loose your mind as it sweeps you off your feet

In Upandi,

Without a worry or a care

It just takes two

To make it true

Your heart will lead you there!" Jamie and Vicky shouted tunelessly and preceded to 'la la la' the rest of the song because they didn't know the rest of the words. They were laughing breathlessly with all the singing and grinning at each other as they danced. I stood silently watching them with a smile of my own on my face. It was unbelievably how cute they looked just then. I actually had a hunch that they would always remain friends, at least, for the rest of their lives.

I looked towards the kitchen and rolled my eyes at Jake who, unsurprisingly, was leaning against one of the counters and eating. Again. That boy was a bottomless pit but Jamie could be like that as well, especially when it came to chocolate cake. He had once managed to make himself physically sick by eating three whole chocolate cakes that he had managed to find after mum hid them, extremely well I might add. He just didn't know when to say 'no' when it came to that.

When Jake noticed I was back he gave me a small wave and turned off the music with the remote that was sitting on the counter beside him. Jamie and Vicky stopped dancing abruptly as Jamie turned to glare at Jake. My brothers took 'sibling rivalry' to the extreme and I knew just from that look that there was now a war brewing between them. These types of wars usually involved each of them pulling pranks on the other but most of the time going wrong and catching me and Alice in the cross fire. The last time they had one of their 'disagreements' a little war was started by Jamie because Jake had taken the last slice of cake which was a capital offence according to Jamie. Alice had to shower at least half-a-dozen times to get most of the flour out of her hair after she had opened the kitchen cupboard door to get breakfast. To this day I still have no idea how Jamie managed to set that particular prank up but I assume it was directed at Jake because he was usually first to breakfast but had slept in on that particular day.

"Hi, Jamie, was Jake being nice when I was out?" I asked quickly, trying to avoid fight that was sure to ensure. I looked at Jacob out of the corner of my eye and smirked at him as he rolled his eyes.

"Bella," Jamie whined, quickly turning his attention towards me with a small frown on his face. "It's _James_." He emphasised slowly. He had recently decided that the abbreviation of his name was too babyish for him now that he was going into primary three.

I raised my eyebrows and looked towards Vicky in time to see her rolling her eyes at him, obviously trying not to laugh at his little outburst.

"Sorry, was Jake being nice while I was out, _James_?" I mimicked his tone, emphasising his name.

He let out a huffed sigh and folded his arms across his chest, scowling in Jakes direction. "No, he wasn't. He said I wasn't allowed any sweeties or juice when I asked nicely." He said innocently, too innocently.

"Actually, _Jamie,_ you didn't 'ask nicely'. It was more of a demand than a question. I think your exact words were 'Give me the sugar or you will regret the day you ever messed with me.'" Jacob stated smugly as James narrowed his dark brown eyes at him, glaring furiously.

"Jamie," I started but was cut off by him.

"_Bella_." He whined and I sighed.

"I'll start again; James, I think you and Vicky should go outside and play before she has to go home in an hour." I said, trying to get him outside to calm down. When he got started in one of his tantrums it was ages before he would settle down. I wasn't entirely sure why he was like that. Jake and I never had temper tantrums and Alice only had a few minor ones when she wasn't allowed some item of clothing she wanted when she was younger. I suspected it was probably because he was the youngest, the 'baby' of the family and got the most attention, especially because there was nine years between him and Jake.

James grinned excitedly at the prospect of going outside and grabbed Vicky's hand in his, pulling her through the kitchen towards the back door.

"He's just happy because he'll get to kiss his girlfriend without me there." Jake said just as James was walking through the door, smirking.

James froze in the doorway, his face darkening menacingly as he spun towards Jake. It was just like Jacob to wined James up just when he's calm down from one of his mood swings. Jamie quickly told Vicky to go outside without him just now before taking a few steps towards Jake until he was standing right in front of him. Because of Jake's height he had to crane his neck to glare up at him but I could see a distinct blush across his cheeks so Jacob's comment hadn't exactly been false otherwise it I don't think it would have bothered him.

"I do not kiss her." James hissed between clenched teeth but, for anybody who knew him like our family did, it was obvious he was lying.

"Oh, really?" Jake asked sarcastically with his smirk still prominent on his face. "Then how did I see you two kissing earlier in the sitting room when you thought I wasn't there?" He asked smugly and quirked an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yeah, well…" James spluttered trying to think of a come back as his blush darkened considerably. "…You kiss your girlfriend all the time." He accused and returned to glaring at him.

"Yeah, and?" Jake said nonchalantly with amusement glowing in his eyes. He obviously sensed he had won this argument.

James eyes widened slightly and he scowled as he tried to think of an insult of some kind. He glanced around himself as if the answer would just appear out of thin air and a wicked smile spread across his face as he looked back up at Jake. Comprehension dawned on Jacob's face and I had to hold in a laugh at how scared he appeared from that look James was giving him. Jamie swung his leg back and kicked Jake hard in his shin then turned quickly and marched out towards the back door triumphantly.

Jacob crumpled in pain, clutching his shin as he glared at James's retreating form. "What the f—"

"Jacob." I scolded. That kind of language was normal for him but I really didn't want James picking it up from him and start swearing at the kids at school. James looked back once to stick his tongue out at Jake then walked out the back door to play with Vicky. "It serves you right, Jake. You shouldn't tease him like that." I said as I made my way into the kitchen and began to gather the things I would need to make dinner, Spaghetti Bolognese.

Jacob looked at me incredulously and straightened up. "Serves me right? In case you haven't noticed; I'm the injured party here. And I've been put through the torture of baby-sitting him and his little friends all day." He said frowning and I shook my head at his dramatics.

I continued around the kitchen, manoeuvring around Jake to get the pots from the cupboard. "So, how's Nessie?" He asked curiously. They're as bad as each other. I don't see why they don't just phone each other to ask these things instead of using me as some sort of messenger bird.

"She's fine and she asked me the exact same thing about you." I said as I searched through the fridge for the vegetables for the Bolognese sauce. "She also felt the need to indulge me in some details of your personal life that I would rather live without knowing." I shuddered and wrinkled my nose in disgust. I really cat believe why she said that to me. I mean really, he is my brother and there are certain things of his personal life which are just that, personal.

"Really, what did she say?" I turned abruptly to look at him in shock. He couldn't be serious. But apparently, he was.

"There is no way we are talking about this. You're going to have to ask her that yourself." I said, shaking my head in disbelief and distracted myself with the dinner.

Jake eventually left, no doubt to call Nessie and I could hear music coming from Alice's room so she must have decided to postpone her questioning for now but I didn't think she would wait long before it started up again.

I was busy stirring the sauce and pasta, which was almost ready, when the door bell rang. I turned down the heat of the hob and rushed to the door, avoiding the toy and other objects that were still scattered on the floor. I opened the door to find Vicky's mum, Sarah, waiting there with a smile on her face, her long red curls dangling just below her shoulders. Vicky was the spitting image of her mother with her curly red hair and blue/grey eyes.

"Hi, Bella, is Vicky ready to go?"

I nodded my head and gestured for her to come in. "Sure, her and Jamie are in the garden. I'll just go get her for you." I said and made my way back through the maze of mess to the back door. I opened the back door to see James and Vicky in the distance, holding both of each others hands just standing and smiling at each other. It was on of those picturesque moments where I wished I had my camera handy but I unfortunately needed to disrupt them.

"Vicky, your mum's here." I called to them and they instantly broke apart, both of them blushing lightly. Vicky ran towards me with James following closely behind her, wanting to say goodbye before she left.

All three of us got back to the front door without any accidents from the offending objects scattering the floor.

"Oh, Bella, im so sorry about the mess." Sarah apologised as she looked around the hall with a frown on her face.

"Don't worry about it. I'll get Jake to clean it later. He was supposed to be watching them and making sure they didn't make a mess so it's his fault." I said with a small shrug and smiled at her.

"If you're sure…" She said hesitantly and I nodded. "Come on then, Vicky. Say 'bye' to James but you're going to see him tomorrow." She smiled down at her daughter and offered her, her hand.

"Yeah, you're staying for dinner tomorrow night." I agreed as she looked at me excited that she would be able to spend all day tomorrow with James as well.

She grinned up at me then turned to James who was smiling shyly at her. He obviously liked her a lot because he was hardly ever shy; only when he was around Vicky would he get embarrassed.

"Bye, Jamie." She said happily and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "I love you." She whispered in his ear for only him to hear. Although, I was standing close enough to hear this little exchange.

A red blush fell across his face as he kissed her cheek as well. "I love you, too." He said even quieter than her and dropped his gaze to the floor as his blush darkened. Vicky waved at him before taking her mothers hand and skipping out the door beside her.

I didn't believe that they could be in love at such a young age when they couldn't even comprehend the real meaning of the word love. I didn't even fully understand the term and I was a decade older than them. But Alice had said multiple times that she would bet her life they would be in love and get married when they were older. I really didn't understand how she could be so sure when they were so young but at this point in my life I knew not to question my older sister. She had her reasons and most of the time she was absolutely right.

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Not long after that my whole family were sitting around the table in the dining room. My dad, Charlie, was at the head of the table and my mum, Renee, was sitting opposite him at the other end. Both of them had returned from work a few minutes earlier. Charlie was a police officer and, conveniently, worked in the small police station in the village near by. My mum owned her own business, designing and baking wedding cakes for all over the country. I think that's where I get my ability to cook a decent meal because my dad is incapable of cooking beans on toast, never mind anything else.

I was sitting beside Alice, nearest the end where mum was sitting with Jamie directly across from me and Jake sitting beside him. I really don't know why they sit beside each other but they usually didn't argue because they were both too busy eating. I glanced around the table at the rest of my family, all of which were eating quietly. Jacob was scoffing his food as if it would disappear and James was eating it just as quickly, desperate to get to dessert. Alice and I were just watching them with amusement as we usually did.

"So, Bella," I looked towards my mum as she spoke. It was a tone I knew all too well; one where she was trying to ask something casually but she was really extremely curious to know about. Renee had shoulder length light brown hair and light hazel eyes whereas Charlie had dark brown hair and eyes. James took mostly after mum with his light brown hair but had dark brown eyes like the rest of us that we had inherited from our father.

Everyone looked towards me as Renee spoke and I could feel their eyes boring into me. "What's this Alice told me about you and your 'green-eyed stranger'?" She asked in that casual tone using her fingers as quotation marks.

I dropped my gaze to my dinner, prodding it with my forks and glaring at Alice out of the corner of my eye. The room had gone completely silent and I could feel my cheeks heating as I blushed. "He's Emmett's brother." I mumbled to my dinner, my hair falling in front of my face and acting as a shield.

"I didn't know Emmett had a brother." The surprise was evident in Charlie's voice as he spoke but I could also hear it was slightly suspicious of my reaction to this line of questioning. I should have know that if Alice didn't get the answers to the questions she asked that she would tell mum and then she would make the questioning even more embarrassing by asking it in front of everyone.

"Neither did I. He gave Emmett a lift into work and I served him when he came in the café." I explained and continued cursing Alice in my mind. I just had to figure out my revenge which is a lot harder than it sounds.

"Mummy, can I get chocolate cake now?" I looked up to see James smiling at Renee and pointedly looking at his empty plate. He had obviously gotten board by the conversation and let out a sigh of relief. James was now officially my favourite sibling, replacing Alice, because he seemed to be the only one to save me from embarrassment even if it wasn't deliberate.

Renee looked at me for a few seconds longer, reluctant to stop the conversation when she hadn't gotten all the answers she wanted then turned to James and smiled warmly at him. "Of course, honey, but you're not allowed too much or you won't be able to sleep tonight."

I took that as my cue and stood up quickly to get the dessert ready. I picked up my half empty plate and began piling everyone else's dishes together with my own. I walked into the kitchen and placed them in the sink for Alice to wash them later because we all took turns for washing the dishes and tonight it was her turn. I took the chocolate cake and whipped cream out the fridge and the ice cream out the freezer, placing them on the counter. I walked over to the serving hatch which was in the wall between the kitchen and the dining room to see James already waiting there, jumping up and down impatiently.

"James, do you want cream or ice cream with your cake?" I said with a small laugh at his excitement of getting dessert.

"Both!" He said happily but much louder than necessary.

"One or two scoops of ice cream?" I asked as I cut a slice of cake and placed it on his plate.

"Three, please and lots of scooshie cream!" He said, peering through the serving hatch, watching me getting his desert ready.

I rolled my eyes at his answer and handed him his pudding, smiling at my new favourite sibling.

A few minutes later we were all sitting around the dining table again with our desserts in front of us. The cake was actually mum's special homemade chocolate fudge cake and was absolutely delicious. Just by looking at it, it was easy to understand why her company was famous for the cakes they made.

While we ate there was some light chatter but nothing on the earlier topic of Edward which I was thankful for. By the time we had all finished only James had some dessert left and had scooped up a spoonful of cream which he was now studying intently. He turned in his seat towards Jake and smiled sweetly.

"Jake, do you want it?" He asked and held out his spoon towards him. Jacob eyed him suspiciously but gave in to the temptation to the pudding and leaned towards it hesitantly.

Jamie jerked his hand forward so the spoon his Jake's nose, covering it in cream. James started laughing hysterically and soon laugher erupted from everyone at the table except Jake whose face was still shocked that he had been tricked by someone less than half his age. His face alone was enough to have me laughing so hard I was gasping for breath.

When James calmed down he sat back in his chair properly and grinned at Alice from across the table. "Oh, Alice." He said innocently and scooped up some more cream on his spoon, aiming it at Alice as if he was about to ping it at her.

"James Charles Swan, don't you dare throw food in this house or you'll be cleaning it up yourself," Renee said sternly as she had seen where his actions were headed. James kept his spoon aimed at Alice who was staring at it fearfully; worried about the effect it would have on her newly bought clothes. "Put the spoon down or Vicky won't be coming over tomorrow." She warned and he instantly dropped the spoon in his bowl smiling sweetly at her.

The rest of the night passed normally; Jake and James fighting over the remote. And what music was on the stereo. And who would get what food when they had finally decided on a film to watch. Then James complaining about going to bed earlier than Jake, Alice and I; saying it wasn't fair. But all in all, it was uneventful. Just another typical family night.


	4. Are you jealous?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight**

**Authors note: Thank you for all the reviews! They were very much appreciated. I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday but I wasn't feeling well. So, here's the next chapter and, as promised, it involves Edward but I also couldn't resist having a bit of James and Jake as well so here it is!**

Are you jealous?

I woke up the next morning, anxious to get to work, having slept soundly the previous night. My dreams were mostly filled with Edward but, unfortunately, I couldn't remember what they were about. Usually, I'm not a morning person but today I could look forward to, hopefully, seeing Edward at work.

I got ready and dressed then made my way downstairs to get some breakfast before I left. I walked into the kitchen and saw James sitting on one of the kitchen counters, swinging his legs back and forth with a smile on his face. I was instantly suspicious as I watched him and cautiously made my way over to him. The bottom floor was now completely tidy and as it had been before I had gone to work yesterday, thanks to Jacob.

"Morning, James. You're up early." I observed as I stood in front of him. Technically it was 10.30am but usually Jamie never got up before noon during the holidays. It was a different matter when it was during school term. He would have tantrums and make a big fuss about getting up at eight on a school day (his school started at 9.15am) but at the weekends he got up at half past six at the latest, which is something I found completely strange. Why get up abnormally early when you could have a long lie?

He just nodded his head in reply and kept that triumphant smile on his face. "Is it safe for me to get cereal for breakfast?" I asked and looked towards the cupboard, checking it for any traps. I hadn't forgotten what happened to Alice and I was sure I would remember it for sometime to come. It was a valuable lesson; stay away from James and Jacob when they're arguing, or more accurately, having a war.

"Yup, the cupboards safe." He nodded and looked towards the door as Alice came into the sitting room and then into the kitchen.

"I heard you up early. What were you up to this morning, James?" Alice asked as she leaned against the counter next to him. Alice's room was across from Jacobs and just down the hall from mine and James's so when any of us were going downstairs, we had to pass her room.

"Revenge." He said with a nod of his head and a wicked grin spreading across his face. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know what he had done to Jake or not but whatever it was I knew by the look on his face that it wouldn't be good.

"You didn't?" Alice gasped excitedly. As long as she wasn't involved, she loved their wars. That and the fact that she thought James was justified in his actions. Most of the time.

Jamie crossed his arms across his chest and stuck out his bottom lip. "He deserved it. He shouldn't have said anything about me and Vicky." His face darkened with anger and it was at these moments that I thought he looked a lot more terrifying than any normal 6 year old should.

"What did you do?" I asked suspiciously. Don't get me wrong, some of their pranks could be amusing but sometimes they get way out of hand.

"I'll give you a clue; warm water, a bed, Jake and him having a little accident when he's sleeping." Jamie's smile grew with each word he said eventually ending with him laughing hysterically. He may look cute and innocent but he was a scheming little monster when he wanted to be. I honestly don't know where he gets it from. Alice and I aren't prone to violence and Jake may be annoying as hell but he doesn't physically harm anyone even if he does consist mostly of muscle. But James on the other hand, he has a vicious temper and has already been involved in fights at school. When he's older, if he focuses that great mind of his on his studies I believe he could get into a really good university and achieve a really good job but the way he acts now, it doesn't look like he's going to change anytime soon.

I stared at him stunned while Alice joined in his laughter. "You put his finger in warm water when he was asleep?" I asked incredulously. I was actually surprised that Jamie had refrained from his usual more physical pranks and had decided to just embarrass Jake excessively.

"I've always wondered if that actually works." Alice said thoughtfully and Jamie's expression changed instantly; turning from joyous to almost hateful in a second.

"Believe me; it does. He did that to me once and now its time for me to repay the favour." He chuckled darkly.

I glanced at him then Alice, catching her eye and looking pointedly towards the door. I didn't really want to see Jake's reaction to this little prank when he woke up and Jamie was beginning to scare me. Well, scare me as much as a little brother can which, apparently, is a lot.

She took my hint, thank goodness, and nodded her head in agreement. "Come on, Bella, we had better be going or you're going to be late for work." She said and began walking out of the kitchen after grabbing an apple for her breakfast as she passed the fruit bowl. "And, besides, you'll see Edward." She teased, saying his name in a sing-song voice. I, of course, blushed bright red and mumbled an incoherent retort, walking past her and out the front door as quickly as possible.

Just as Alice closed the door behind her I heard a loud, enraged yell from inside the house, "Jamie!" Obviously Jake had woken up and discovered his little…surprise. Knowing Jamie, he would have left the bowl of water beside Jake's bed to let him know it was him who had played the prank. Probably just to rub it in Jake's face that he had managed to do that to him in the first place.

We drove to my work in silence which I was grateful for so I wouldn't have to answer an onslaught of questions from Alice. She pulled into the car park and I got out of the car somewhat disappointed that I didn't see Edward's Volvo but I hadn't thought he would be there today anyway because Emmett doesn't work today.

The same people as yesterday were working today with the exception of Nessie. Instead, a girl named Jessica was working who I'm sure I had seen around school but with over 1800 pupils in my high school it wasn't likely that I knew everyone who went there. I was just lucky that I recognised them at all.

I assumed Nessie would be spending most of the day with Jake like they always do whenever they have any free time. Again, I was working on the till and trying to remember all the different prices which were harder than I had first assumed it would be.

At exactly 12.17pm, I knew because I was constantly staring at the clock, willing time to move quicker because I wanted to get home before James and Jake destroyed each other or the house, just the person I had been hoping to see, but had deemed it unlikely, walked through the door, his emerald green eyes sparkling and his auburn hair in disarray.

"Hi, Bella, how are you today?" He asked when he reached the counter with a crooked smile on his face.

It took me a few moments to respond because I was well and truly dazed by his beauty. I shook my head to clear it and smiled at him. "I'm fine, thank you, how are you?" I responded then a small confused frown fell upon my face. "I didn't think Emmett was working today so I thought you wouldn't come in today." I asked puzzled. I really had no idea why he was here, well, other than the obvious; to get a coffee. It didn't even occur to me that there was a possibility that I was the reason he was here.

As soon as I said that he dropped his gaze and a light blush fell across his cheeks. "I'm fine, thanks. Emmett isn't working, I came here on my own because I…I just…I, um…" He mumbled, avoiding eye contact with me and I couldn't help thinking about how adorable he was when he was all embarrassed and flustered like he was right now.

"So, is it a white coffee, same as yesterday?" Me, being the wonderful person that I am, decided to save him from his embarrassment. As I have already admitted; he was adorable when he was embarrassed but I didn't like him feeling uncomfortable, for some strange reason that I couldn't quite figure out.

"That would be great, thanks." He smiled and lifted his head to look at me, relief prominent on his features. I returned his smile and made him his coffee, watching him as he walked to the same table as yesterday and sat down. If I could see him at work every time I was here, I would willingly work everyday.

About fifteen minutes later the door opened again (it was extremely quiet, only two people, including Edward.).

"Hi, Bella. fancy meeting you here." A familiar voice greeted me and I turned towards Jake. He seemed abnormally happy for someone who had just had Jamie's prank pulled on him and a lot different from how he had sounded earlier. Obviously, he had gotten his revenge which cannot be good.

"Hi, Jake." I said, somewhat distractedly as I kept my eyes focused on Edward in what I hoped was a sly manner. Jacob followed my gaze and his eyes narrowed when he saw Edward look up and smiled at me. Warning; protective brother Jacob is now in motion. Brilliant.

"Aww, Bella, don't I get a hug?" I looked up at Jake to see him pulling his famous puppy-dog expression on me. I sighed and walked around the counter, wrapping my arms around his waist. I knew he was up to something but I really couldn't say no to that pout.

I stood back and craned my neck to look up at him. That boy seriously needs to shrink or something. He's less than a year younger than me but about a foot and a half taller. It's just not natural. "Better, now?" I asked, trying to sound irritated but when he smiles, you just have to smile back, it's really contagious.

"Much better." He said with a smug grin across his face and I instantly became suspicious.

"What? What have you done?" I demanded and narrowed my eyes at him.

"What makes you think I've done anything?" He asked with an all-too-innocent expression. Yeah, he had definitely done something. Now all I had to do was figure out what.

I sighed and shook my head. There was really no point in asking him if he was determined not to answer me. I knew for a fact that he was as stubborn as I am so I would just have to wait for him to tell me, no matter how much I hated doing that. "What can I get you, Jake?" I asked once I was standing behind the counter once more.

"Hmmm." He said thoughtfully and tapped his fingers on his chin as he looked through on of the menus that had been on the table. "I think I'll have…lentil soup." He said with a nod of his head and I was just going to comment on how little it was before he started talking again. "A baked potato with cheese and coleslaw, a tuna toastie…" He trailed off and started looking at the cake cabinet. "A piece of millionaire's short bread and one of the giant meringues. Oh, I'll have a half milk-half coke drink as well." He said and looked back at me. I knew he had a large appetite but seriously? Those meringues were about the size of my head, for goodness sake and the drink? Yuck, but I have always know he likes weird combinations of food. He once had a peanut butter and chocolate spread sandwich which I thought was just strange.

"Anything else?" I asked sarcastically. What more could he possibly want?

"For now. I'll come back for a piece of that chocolate cake later so I can tell Jamie I had some and he didn't." He said seriously and I shook my head at him. I wouldn't be able to eat even half of that.

He glanced out of the corner of his eye towards the main seating area in the café before resting his arms on the counter and leaning towards me. I frowned at him in confusion but he just grinned back. "I love you, big sis." He said a bit louder than he need to since I was right in front of him but the thing that made me most suspicious was that he whispered the 'big sis' part only loud enough for me to hear.

He kissed my forehead then leaned into whispered into my ear as I eyed him suspiciously out of the corner of my eye. "Look at him." He jerked his head slightly in Edwards direction and I could hear the amusement in his voice. "You can't tell me that not funny."

I looked over to see what he was talking about and it was true, I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my mouth. Edward was sitting, completely tensed and glaring at Jake. I swear, if looks could kill; Jake would be nothing but a pile of ashes. Now I understood why Jake had been acting so suspiciously.

"Don't be so mean." I scolded but a grin was prominent on my face and I hit his arm as hard as I could but he hardly reacted. I was actually quite happy, not because Jake had been childish enough to tease Edward but his reaction to seeing me and Jake 'together' or at least that's how it must have looked.

He laughed and took his tray that had his soup, drink and cakes on it then walked down to a table at the opposite end of the room from Edward. I could see them exchanged glares and rolled my eyes at them. It was really too amusing to be true.

I felt someone nudge me in my side and turned to see Jessica, clearly ogling my brother. Gross. "Who's that gorgeous guy you were getting intimate with?" She asked, overly interested and winked at me. Intimate? I hugged him, and got kissed on the forehead. It's hardly what I would call intimate.

I shuddered and shot her a disgusting look. It was one think to hear it from his girlfriend but another from a random girl I barely knew. "My brother." I stated and walked past her, seeing her turn bright red from embarrassment. She'll be lucky if I don't tell Nessie about her admiring.

I walked over to Edward's table and smiled at him as he looked up at me, breaking the staring contest he was having with Jacob. "Sorry about that, Edward. Just ignore him." I said and we both looked over to Jake simultaneously. He had his eyes focused on Edward, pointing to his eyes then him with the 'I'm watching you' movement and mouthing the words at him. I rolled my eyes at him and turned back to Edward. "I apologise on behalf of my brother. He's a little immature." I muttered and glared at him. Immature was an understatement. I mean, really; 'I'm watching you'? Who does that, well, apart from Jake?

A large grin spread across Edward face at what I had said and nodded, chuckling slightly as he glanced at Jake who was now giving me 'evils' because I had told Edward the truth about our relationship. Boys. I will never understand them even if I live to be a hundred years old.

**A/N: ok, I just need to say that the bit with James and his weird waking patterns (getting up early on the weekends and then complaining about getting up early on school days) that's exactly what my brother does and he usually makes sure everyone else wakes up when he does at 7am. It is beyond annoying. **

**The part with the drink being half milk/ half coke, well, someone actually asked for that at my work and I was extremely curious to how it tasted. Believe me; it's pretty horrible. And last but not least; peanut butter and chocolate spread sandwiches are my favourite!**

**I'll be updating 'so it begins' tomorrow because I'm getting shoved off the computer right now other wise I would write it today. Sorry. Review please!**


	5. The monster under the bed

Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight**

**Authors note: The next chapter! This is another one set at Bella's home with her family because I love writing about the conflicts between James and Jacob. Thanks for all the reviews!**

Monster under the bed

I returned home from work just like the previous day, trying to escape Alice's questioning, although the house was a considerable amount cleaner than yesterday because Alice was looking after Jamie and Vicky for most of the day.

As I entered the sitting room I froze, my mouth snapping open in shock. "Jamie? What did you do to your hair?" I asked in astonishment as I stared at my little brother as he sat on the floor in front of the TV, his nose almost touching the screen.

"It's James." He ignored my question and corrected me. Again.

"What happened?" I took a few steps into the room, walking towards Jamie to get a better look at him. His hair was no longer the light brown colour it had been this morning but was now midnight black, only a few shades darker than his eyes which made him look even more menacing than he usually did even though he seemed to be in a relatively good mood.

"Jake got me back for my trick on him." He shrugged, keeping his eyes glued to the screen. "He put hair dye on my comb so when Alice said I had to try and fix my messy hair it got streaked with black. Alice said that it would look silly like that so she dyed the rest of my hair." He explained and my eyes widened at every word he said. The last time Alice had tried to do anything with Jamie's hair it hadn't turned out so well. His hair had been getting a little too long so she decided she would try to cut it. Try. When she was finished most of his hair was as it had been apart from his fringe with had been turned into a tuft of hair only a few millimetres long. He had looked absolutely ridiculous and had stayed like that for weeks before his fringe grew long enough for him to look normal again.

"I can't believe he did that. How long will it take to come out?" When our parents found out about this I was sure Jake was going to be in serious trouble, along with the pay back Jamie was sure to give him.

"Alice said; a few weeks but I like it." He shrugged and a smile spread across his face as he slowly turned his head towards me. "I told Nessie about this morning. Jake wasn't very happy but it was funny to watch." He giggled and turned back to the television. Well, that was a serious retaliation. Like Jamie, Jake rarely got embarrassed but he would definitely be now that Nessie knew about his Jamie induced 'accident'.

I sighed and dropped my gaze from him, laying my eyes on the sweetie wrappers and empty juice bottle that surrounded him for the first time. This wasn't good. Jamie with a sugar high was ten times worse than what he normally was.

"James, where did you get all that from?" I asked and looked pointedly down at the debris surrounding him, raising my eyebrows in question. I wasn't particularly sure why I asked. After all, he could find basically anything if he wanted to. Which was becoming a huge problem considering his birthday was in a few months on Halloween. I always thought that was a rather amusing coincidence. The one night when spirits of the dead were supposedly able to return to earth. Jamie certainly acted like a little demon when he didn't get his way so, if you ask me, he could well be one of those evil spirits although that theory really doesn't work on the rare occasions he is being incredibly sweet, most of the time around Vicky.

He looked up at me again, smiling innocently. "I was hungry so I went to look in the fridge but it was empty. I went outside and into the woods and I found Jake and Nessie. They were having a picnic and Jake had taken all the food, including my cheese triangles." He said with a slight pout. I was actually amazed that he had managed to find them at all and then found his way back to the house, the small wood we lived near could also be easy to get lost in. "Anyway, I said I wouldn't leave them alone unless I got my food and Nessie, being the nice person that she is, told Jake to give me something yummy." He said with a grin. Although he really didn't like Jake, he thought of Nessie as another sister to him especially since she was always kind to him as well.

"I think they're still outside." Jamie shrugged and returned his attention to the TV again. Then something hit me. Vicky was supposed to be over today and she usually didn't go home until the last moment. If Jamie had his way she wouldn't ever go home so I was curious as to why she wasn't with him now.

"James, where's Vicky?" I frowned slightly and glanced around the room. The last thing I would need was to loose her but I was sure that if we did, Jamie would have no problem finding her, hopefully. He always seemed to be able to do that, find things extremely easily.

"We were playing hide and seek but I couldn't find her so I decided to watch TV." He said nonchalantly as he continued to stare at the screen.

"And you didn't think to tell her that you had given up?"

He turned his head towards me with a thoughtful expression on his face. "Nope." His eyes widened slightly. "I hope she didn't go into my room. It's got monsters in it." He said worriedly and his eyes darted around the room before focusing on the stairs that lead to his room.

"Yes, because the monster under your bed might have eaten her." I said sarcastically. Jamie's eyes began to tear up and his bottom lip quivered as he stared at me wide eyed. I dropped to my knees beside him and pulled his into a hug. "I was only joking." I whispered to him as I patted his hair soothingly, trying to calm him down. It was then that I remembered a prank Jake had pulled on him which caused him to react like this whenever 'the monsters' under his bed were mentioned. Jake had hidden under Jamie's bed and made creepy noises when the lights were out before jumping out at him. Of course, Jamie knew it was Jacob and was furious, resulting in him destroying most of Jake's clothing but the fear had been unconsciously imprinted in his mind so he now had to sleep with a night light. Although, I always found it strange that the night light that helped him feel safe was a picture of a vampire.

He lifted his head up, looking at me with his tearstained face and gave me a small smile. His eyes widened slightly and he placed a finger to his lips as I looked at him questioningly. "Shh. Did you hear that?" He asked in a hushed voice and I strained to hear whatever he had but it was completely silent apart from the noise of the television.

I stared at him in confusion and shook my head slightly. He jumped to his feet and ran to the edge of the kitchen before walking through it slowly, listening. He stopped in front of one cupboard and leaned towards it slightly before looking at me with a triumphant expression. Obviously, he had found whatever was making the noise that was too quiet for me to hear.

I walked slowly up behind him, curious as to what he had found, and stood beside him just as he opened the cupboard door. My eyes widened slightly as they took in the seen before me. Apparently, we had just found Vicky's hiding place. She was lying curled up in a ball, her small frame fitting easily inside the cupboard, with her bright red/orange hair fanning out around her face. Her eyes were shut tightly as she slept with a peaceful expression and a small smile on her face.

It was then that I began to worry how long Jamie had actually stopped playing and left her to realise for herself that the game was over. Sure, Jamie was extremely good at finding things but Vicky had a talent for hiding and staying hidden for hours on end.

Jamie leaned towards her, her face inches away from hers as if he was about to kiss her. "Vicky!" He yelled loudly in a sing-song voice, causing both me and Vicky to jump. She startled out of her sleep, jolting awake and bumped her forehead against James's. He pulled back quickly, reflexively but they both seemed unperturbed by banging their heads together.

Victoria's blue-grey eyes darted between me and James, widened in the shock of being woken up then hit on her head. Jamie smiled and held out his hand towards her, a kind gesture I had never seen him use before but, then again, he was always much different when he was around her. Vicky took his hand and he helped her out of the cupboard as I heard her mutter, "Finally", under her breath.

"Jamie, did you tell her?" Vicky asked James excitedly when they were standing side by side. She shifted her gaze to me then back at Jamie when she noticed my confused expression.

"Tell me what?" A frown fell across my face as I tried to think of what she was talking about. Sure, he had told me about why his hair was suddenly a different colour but I didn't think that was what she was talking about. After all, Vicky mostly ignored the pranks Jamie and Jacob played on each other.

James's face held a small frown and was crumpled in confusion which I was sure was an identical expression to mine. As realisation hit him a wide smile began to spread across his face and he turned towards me with a look of pure happiness.

"Bella! Bella, guess what!?" he was now jumping up and down on the balls of his feet which reminded me of Alice when she was excited.

"Jamie! Jamie, what?" I asked mimicking his tone but I knew the curiosity was evident in my tone.

"Me and Vicky," He gestured to himself and then Victoria who was standing at his side as if I wouldn't know who he was talking about. "Are going to go dancing." He grinned at me.

"What?" Jamie, dancing? No, those were not two words that belonged in the same sentence. If he was anything like me, Jake or our father then he most certainly would have two left feet.

"Vicky's mummy told Vicky about dancing lessons and Vicky asked me if I would be her partner." He rushed out in his excitement. "It's so cool. I get to lift her up." He continued to jump up and down in place and Vicky put her hand on his arm, calming him down slightly.

"No, Jamie, you only do that later when you're strong enough. Mummy said that takes years of practicing." She said to him but he seemed unaffected by the news. It seemed that if Vicky wanted to do it then it was the best idea in the world. Vicky turned her head toward me to try and explain it more clearly. "I think its ballroom dancing or something." She said with a small shrug.

"Really? Wow." I glanced between the both of them, searching for any indication that they were lying but it was clear they were telling the truth.

"I've not told you the best bit." Jamie said excitedly. "Because I said yes, me and Vicky are going to go sword fighting." His smile was so big it looked like it threatened to fall off his face.

"Don't you mean _fencing_, not sword fighting?" I clarified. Now that I understood; Jamie and Vicky were constantly finding large sticks outside and sword fighting with them, pretending they were pirates.

"It's got nothing to do with fences." A frown fell across his face as it scrunched in confusion.

"Fencing is just a fancy word for what you'd be doing. You wouldn't actually have proper swords, just pretend ones." Jamie's face fell slightly as I explained that but he seemed too excited at the moment and I assumed that was probably due to the large amounts of sugary drinks he had consumed.

The phone on the wall in the living room began ringing and Jamie ran over to get it, picking it up and placing it against the side of his face although the phone was huge compared to him. "Hello? Nope…Yeah, Bella's here…uh-huh…ok…" He looked up to me and held out the phone.

"Who is it?" I whispered as I took the phone from him. He shrugged his shoulders and went back over to Vicky who was now sitting cross-legged in front of the television. I pressed the phone to my ear and had a short conversation. It was my aunt asking if it was still ok that our cousin and his friend were going to be staying over for a couple of days. I had actually completely forgotten about that. Our cousin usually came to stay at our house for a couple of nights at every holiday. He was a few months older than Jamie and he held the same relationship with his friend as Jamie had with Vicky.

I hung up and turned towards Jamie, unsure if I should tell him right now or not. He would probably be even more hyper than he was right now which would not be a good thing but if I didn't tell him he would find out and what to get some pay back.

"Jamie, Laury and Irina are coming over in a few days." I had barely finished my sentence when both Jamie and Vicky's high pitched squeals of excitement cut me off.

"Bella, it's not Laury, it's _Laurent_." Jamie emphasised when he had calmed down enough to talk.

"Oh no, not him too." I muttered. What was it with little boys that made them think they were more grown up when you called them by their full name? Vicky nodded and rolled her eyes at Jamie, a small smirk on her face.

The four of them together in the same house could only mean one thing; trouble.

**A/N: It's not a particularly exciting chapter but there is a little bit of information in the****re that is important for later in the story (I already know how I'm going to end it and what I'm going to write in the last chapter. Its just the chapters in between I need to figure out).**

**Review!**


	6. Renewing old aquaintances

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight**** or the movie 'night at the museum'**

**Authors note: Thanks for the reviews! So, here's another chapter of Bella/Edward…but I decided to have Emmett, Jasper and Alice in it too…I'm not entirely sure when I'm going to bring Rosalie into the story but she will make her appearance…sometime. **

**Sorry about the delay but my inspiration temporarily evaporated…**

Renewing old acquaintances

It was now 10:30am; half an hour into my shift and the café was much busier than it had been for the past couple of days with a total of 6 tables full, a marginal difference.

Alice had dropped me off earlier and had promised to come in later because she wanted to look around the garden centre and gift shop, unable to resist the chance to shop when she had enough time to do so.

As predicted; my parents got home last night, took one look at Jamie's now black hair and grounded Jake, instantly knowing he was the cause of it. They knew him well. So now, not only does he have to survive for two weeks without any contact with Nessie but his punishment is to look after James and Vicky, and then Laury and Irina when they arrive.

I almost feel sorry for him; Jamie and Laury are a lethal combination when they get together. Although he really did deserve some punishment for his prank, I think that that is a little too severe. Even I would dread to have to look after all for of them, the most evil 6-year-olds know to man-kind, all on my own.

Alice was supposed to go collect Laury and Irina around midday so I was anxious of the chaos I would arrive home to. You never knew what to expect when the four of them got together. They could be complete little angels on minute and then absolute devils the next.

I handed the customer I was serving their change and let out a small sigh in relief. That was the busiest it had been since I started working here and I really wasn't used to it yet.

My eyes glanced over to the table where the object of my affections, Edward, was sitting, facing me, across from Emmett and a tall blond guy. I was positive I recognised him but I wasn't entirely sure because I hadn't seen his face since they had come in fifteen minutes ago. I was honestly surprised to see them here because Emmett wasn't working and on his days off he would usually sleep in.

Edward's eyes glanced in my direction and a crooked grin fell upon his face when his eyes met mine. I could feel a light blush heating my cheeks from being caught looking but I reminded myself that although he had caught me staring, he had looked in my direction to catch me in the first place.

The blond man turned his head to the side and my eyes immediately took in every detail of his profile. I had to stop myself from squealing with excitement once I recognised him. Alice would be over the moon to find out he was here. I quickly told Angela I would be back in a few minutes and walked quickly, but quietly, over to their table, aware of Edward's eyes on me the whole time.

"Edward, what are you—" The blond began to speak but immediately stopped when I placed my hands over his eyes. I almost burst out laughing when hiss whole body tensed at my movement.

"Long time, no see, Jazzy-Jazz." I giggled; using the nick-name I had called him when we were younger. He immediately relaxed and I felt his large hands covering mine as he began to stand and turn towards me.

"Bella!" He grinned and wrapped his arms around me. Jasper was Rosalie's older brother. I hadn't seen him since I was ten and Jamie was just a baby, almost 6 years ago. He had gone to University when he was 17; his birthday was in February so he was one of the youngest in his year, to train to be a psychologist. "How's Jamie? Still a little monster?" He released me from his hug and asked playfully. Jamie had always been trouble, even when he was only a few months old.

"More than you can possibly know. Him and Jake put together is terrible." I smirked at him. That was the understatement of the year.

"And Alice, how is she?" A new excitement and eagerness lit up his face at the sound of her name. To any normal person it was obvious that they had both had feelings for each other and it seemed that those feelings were still strong after all these years. I knew for a fact Alice liked Jasper more than a friend; she had cried for weeks after he left.

"She's great. In fact, she said she would be looking around the garden centre for a bit." I said, smiling knowingly. Alice continually played 'match maker' for me so it was time I would return the favour.

A wide grin spread across his face and excitement seemed to radiate off him in waves. Jasper was usually an extremely calm person, at least that's how I remember him. But seeing him this excited instantly reminded me of Alice. "That's brilliant…I mean, I'd better be going now. I'll see you later Bella." He gave me one last hug and began to walk out the doors saying bye to Edward and Emmett as an after thought. If he thought he was being sly he was severely mistaken.

"What was that all about?" Edward asked, raising an eyebrow at me in question.

"It's a long story, a really long story." I rolled my eyes and smiled at him before turning and going back behind the counter. I was going to have to corner Alice after work to find out how her meeting with Jasper went.

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Just over half an hour later and it was busier than ever, the café completely full and a long queue at the counter. I was now clearing the tables as people left because I got a bit flustered at the counter when there was a line of people waiting, trying to be quit but only causing myself to make mistakes in the process.

Edward and Emmett were still sitting at the same table they had been earlier and I continued to sneak glances at Edward as I worked. I really couldn't take my eyes off him for more than a few minutes, as if they were drawn to him whenever I looked away.

I lifted the plates off the table I had been clearing and stacked them on the tray along with the cups and cutlery. I wiped the table down before lifting the tray and walking back towards the kitchen. Although it held about nine plates, three cups plus the cutlery, it wasn't actually that heavy.

"Ah-woof!" I jumped as the lady to my right sneezed very loudly and very strangely. It sounded more like a bark than anything else and me being the klutz I was managed to drop the tray I was holding, causing the crashing of plates to echo around the café.

I dropped to the floor, hurriedly picking up the plates that were still in one piece and setting them on the tray as I felt the heat rise on my face, no doubt blushing bright red. I heard a loud boisterous laugh which was cut off abruptly by a loud smack and looked up to see Emmett rubbing his arm with a frown on his face and Edward making his way towards me.

I immediately dropped my gaze and focused on the task at hand. Why did this have to happen to me? Whatever I did to deserve this, I'm sorry. It was just my luck that I would manage to embarrass myself in a room full of people, including one of my best friends and the amazingly gorgeous Edward Cullen. Brilliant.

"Bella, are you ok?" He asked softly, his voice laced with concern, as he crouched down beside me, helping to clear up the broken shards of what had once been four plates. If possible, the blush on my cheeks darkened with embarrassment. This was as bad as those horrible nightmares where you find yourself at school naked. If I had any good luck at all, the ground would swallow me up but, unfortunately, I had never been very lucky.

I mumbled incoherently and nodded my head, too flustered and embarrassed for a better response. I picked the tray up and stood quickly, a little too quickly, causing me to stumble slightly as I almost feel for a second time. The only thing stopping me with having another unwanted meeting with the floor was a strong arm being wrapped tightly around my waist keeping me upright.

"Um, thanks." I mumbled and kept my gaze downwards, trying to avoid looking at Edward.

"Your welcome." He breathed in my ear and I involuntarily shivered in response.

"Erm…I need to get back to work. I'll see you later." I said in a rush and walked hurriedly away before I could make an even bigger fool of myself than I had managed to already. Great, I really like Edward and I just _had_ to embarrass myself twice in that many minutes. Stupid clumsy genes. How, out of four children, did I manage to have the 'klutz gene'? My siblings were all pretty graceful but I was the complete opposite. I guess I'm clumsy enough for the four of us.

After that disaster I tried to stay away from Edward for the remainder of the time he was here, unwilling to embarrass myself yet again. I sighed in relief when my shift was over and went straight to Alice's Porsche, curious as to what was waiting for us at home.

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I opened the front door cautiously, glancing around the clear hallway as my brow furrowed in confusion. Irina and Laury were here so where was the mess that was usually created by the four of them?

I walked into the living room, hearing the soft sounds of the TV and peeked my head through the door. Jacob was lying sprawled across the sofa with Jamie and Laury sitting on top of him while Vicky and Irina sat on the arm chair, side by side.

"Bella!" Jake leaped off the chair, in effect throwing James and Laury to the floor, before bounding over to me. "Bella, please, can I have your phone?" He asked hurriedly as I just stared at him, confused.

"huh?"

"Your phone, Bella. I need to speak to Nessie, please?" He pleaded as understanding lit up face. I had almost forgotten about that. He looked completely desperate although he had spoken to her less than twenty-four hours ago.

"Yeah, su—" I started to speak but was cut off mid-sentence.

"Don't even think about it Bella." I glanced up at the door way to the living room and smiled.

"Mum, I thought you were working today." I turned my head slightly in Jake's direction and whispered an apology. Mum raised her eyes brows at me before disappearing back into the house.

Jake groaned and threw himself back down on the sofa while James and Laury just picked themselves up off the floor and resumed their positions on Jake's stomach as if nothing had happened. Well, at least I knew why the house hadn't been destroyed yet; Mum was here.

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I got dressed into more comfortable clothes and sat watching a video (night at the museum) with the four six year olds. Jake was up in his room moping and Alice had said she was going to call Jasper an hour ago on her mobile phone so I assume she's still on the phone with him.

The film was just at the part where the skeleton of the tyrannosaurus rex first came to life. The spooky atmosphere (for a children's movie) and music had all four children sitting up straight and leaning closer to the television. I saw James moving his hands closer to Vicky, who sat beside him, he jolted her shoulders roaring and she screamed loudly, making everyone else jump in surprise.

At the shrill sound of the phone ringing I jumped up from the chair I was sitting on and went to get it, lifting it off the cradle and holding it to my ear.

"Hello?" I asked quietly so I wouldn't interrupt the movie.

"Bella? It's Edward."

"Edward?" I asked in confusion. "How do you have my number?" Not that I particularly minded but I was curious.

"I asked Emmett for it." He said sheepishly. Ah, that would explain it; I wonder why I didn't think of that… "Em, I, well, I was just wondering if would like a lift into work tomorrow." He stuttered. "Emmett said Alice was working and you wouldn't have anybody to drive you so, I, I just thought that maybe I could give you a lift. I mean, if you don't want to that's fine but—" He started to ramble. Why was he so nervous? Don't get me wrong, a nervous Edward is certainly a cute Edward but I honestly didn't know why he seemed so unsure.

"Edward, I would really appreciate that. Thank you." I cut him off quickly, smiling. I had been wondering about what I was going to do tomorrow. If he hadn't offered I would have had to walk and I that really didn't appeal to me considering it would probably take an hour at least.

"Great." He sighed in relief and I giggled slightly. "What time should I pick you up?"

"Well, I start at eleven tomorrow so about quarter to would be brilliant."

"Alright, I'll see you then. Bye, Bella."

"Goodbye, Edward." I said as I hung up the phone. A sense of elation rushed through me at the thought of Edward driving me to work. Sure, it was only about a ten minute drive but still, it was an exciting prospect. All I had to do was not trip, fall, stumble or embarrass myself in anyway. A piece of cake.

**A/N: ****That sneezing lady is real! She gave me one heck of a fright one day at work. It really did sound like a dog barking!**

**Mwahahah! Alice and Jasper are getting together! Yay!...Just so you know, Alice**** is almost 20 and Jasper is 23 so there isn't much of an age difference.**

**When I was in Jordan with some people from my school we had this huge discussion on age differences when we were on a particularly long bus ride. One of the boys, Ali, said there was something called a 'two year rule' which all the boys were agreeing with. It basically meant you could only go out with someone if they were either two years younger or two years older. One of the girls, Leanne, said it was nonsense, which I** **completely agree with. She said it all depends on what age they are to begin with, for example, a thirty year-old with a forty year-old seems fine but when you say a ten-year-old and twenty-year-old, that's just creepy.**

**Then we went on to say to Ali that his 'two year rule' would mean it would be ok for him, a 16 year old, to go out with a fourteen year old but he said that was just wrong because they wouldn't be 'legal' so his stupid rule thingy back fired and us girls won the argument! Yay! **

**Review and you'll get a sneak peak of the next chapter!**


	7. Under Attack

_**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Twilight**_

_**Authors note: I got a bit of inspiration after going to work on Saturday so here's the next chapter!...**_

_**There was a boy there, maybe my age or a couple of years older, and I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu…then I remembered that I had seen him before…in a dream! It was seriously creepy…**_

Under attack!

It was 10.45am, Edward was here and I'm running a bit late. I tugged my shirt over my head, grabbed my apron and rushed downstairs. Inevitably, I had only two more steps to go, missed the bottom step and went flying into the wall opposite the staircase, only just managing to regain my balance.

I brushed the stray strands of hair of my face and tucked then behind my ears before shoving my feet into my shoes quickly. I yelled a quick goodbye to anyone who was awake in the house and shut the front door behind me.

I turned to look down the drive way and saw Edward leaning against the side of a shiny silver Volvo, a crooked grin forming on his face as he saw me. I paused for a moments, taking him in with a smile of my own plastered across my face. When I reminded myself I was late and I was just standing there ogling him a light blush spread across my cheeks and I hurried to his car. But not too fast or I was sure to have an unexpected meeting with the ground.

He opened the passenger side door for me then went around the car to the driver's side, sliding smoothly in and shutting the door behind him before starting the engine.

"Thanks again for this. You really didn't have to but I appreciate it." I smiled at him as he pulled away from my house and started driving down the road through the woods that lead to the main road.

"Like I said Bella; it's no problem." He said as he flashed me a grin, glancing quickly in my direction before turning back to the road. We spent the rest of the ten minute drive chatting about different things and getting to know each other as much as you can within the short ten minutes.

When we arrived I gave Edward yet another 'thank you' before walking quickly inside to make sure I wouldn't be late. The rest of the day went pretty quickly and I found myself continuously looking for Edward. He was usually here, sitting in the café by now and he wasn't. That thought alone caused disappointment to wash through me. I hadn't realised until now how much I had enjoyed Edward's visits to me at work, intentional or not.

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I was eating my lunch, a cheese toastie, and basically off in a world of my own, daydreaming which is a frequent occurrence for me when a smooth velvet voice broke through my thoughts.

"Can I sit with you?" My eyes locked on Edward's bright green ones and I nodded slightly, unable to take my gaze off of him. The feeling of happiness that consumed me when he sat down in front of me was overwhelming. He was here. He was here and he was sitting with me for lunch.

I had only known him for a couple of days, speaking to him occasionally but I knew that I already felt strongly for him. Felt what exactly? I wasn't sure. But I know I really like him, that much is obvious, but how does he feel? This was one of those moments when I wished I had some sort of power to read minds or know what he's feeling.

We sat in silence for a few moments before I noticed what he was eating. "Hungry?" I asked teasingly with a small smirk on my face as I eyed his food; an all day breakfast. The large plate sat in front of him had bacon, eggs, toast, sausage and black pudding on it.

"Hey, I didn't have any breakfast so this is me making up for it." He defended himself, returning my smile with one of his own. He turned his attention back to his food and prodded the black pudding with his fork, scrunching his nose up in disgust at it. "You know, I really don't know why anyone would want to eat that." He said eyeing it suspiciously and I laughed at his expression. "How on earth did the English think to cook blood and eat it for breakfast, I mean really." He said exasperated as he pushed it to the edge of his plate.

I had to agree with him though; I didn't like it either. "So, I'm guessing you won't like haggis either then?" I asked as I looked up at him.

He scrunched his nose up again and shook his head. "How did you know?" He chuckled. Honestly, I thought the taste of haggis was ok but the thought of what it contained; yuck! Diced liver and kidney boiled in a sheep's stomach? No thank you. How do people even come up with these things?

"Emmett likes them both but he's more than a little strange." Edward said with a grin in my direction. I nodded my head in agreement, laughing lightly at his comment. Once again, I found myself agreeing with him. Emmett certainly was strange. I remember when he first met Nessie; she was doing a project for her drama class and had to pretend to be of a different nationality for a day to work on different accents. She decided to be American because in her opinion that's the easiest accent. Personally, I definitely can't do any accents at all so I just nod and agree with her on that. Anyway, Nessie being Nessie decided to annoy Emmett by talking about the stereotypical Scotsman. It was absolutely hilarious because she kept on asking him if he dyed his hair or if he was a 'true Scotsman' when he wore his kilt. The look on Emmett's face was priceless and he got more than a little insulted then starting ranting; 'Sure, _of course_ brown isn't my natural colour! I'm actually ginger but I decided to dye my hair! And _of course_ on my weekends I go up to the highlands, dressed in my kilt with a butterfly net in my hand as I run around trying to catch haggis which, in all actuality, is a food dish not a flipping animal!' By then we were all in fits of laughter but the best part was when we told Emmett that Nessie was actually just messing with him.

Before I knew it my lunch break was over and I had to get back to work. I said bye to Edward once more then went back behind the counter. Just as he was leaving he waved to me and I returned it with a bright smile on my face. I felt my day was much better just after seeing him. Sure, I had seen him this morning but seeing him visit me at work was much better.

"Well, I'm glad somebody's happy." I turned to look at Nessie who was leaning against the counter, with her head in her hands and the most forlorn look on her face I had ever seen. I remembered about Jake being banned from seeing her and I felt instantly sorry for her. It had been two days and she already looked totally depressed.

"Don't worry about it, Nessie. I'm sure mum and dad will let you and Jake see each other soon. Being stuck to look after the four monsters is enough punishment if you ask me." A small smile appeared on her face but didn't reach her eyes. Jake and Nessie were like two peas in a pod and when they were away from each other they were beyond miserable.

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As soon as the big hand on the clock hit twelve, indicating it was five o'clock I rushed out the door, anxious to see Edward again. As I walked across the car park to his awaiting car I realised something; I was officially obsessed with Edward Cullen. Not in a bad way but in the 'I can't seem to stop thinking about him' kind of way.

I wasn't able to think much into it though because Edward stepped out of his car and walked around to my side, opening the door for me. He shut it then went around to his side, starting the engine and pulling out of the car park and onto the main road.

After the fifteen minute drive we pulled up in front of my house. I looked up at it and frowned slightly. It was quiet, too quiet. I was broken out of my worrying when Edward opened the car door for me, offering me his hand. I took it and climbed out of the car but he didn't let go as we walked towards the house and I couldn't help noticing how natural it felt, how right. Now that I was holding his hand I never wanted to let go.

"Halt! State your reasons for entry!" A childlike voice shouted and I looked up at the window directly above the door to see Jamie's face peering down at us through the open window, his soldier dress-up out-fit on and black smudges on his cheeks which had probably been made with Alice's black lip stick she had bought for Halloween three years ago and never worn since.

"James, what are you doing? Where's Jake?" I shouted up at him and a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Access denied!" He called at me before disappearing for a few second then he was back at the window, his grin wider than before. "Attack!" He shouted and started launching things out of the open window.

This was not the first time he had played this game, nor would it be the last, so I had some experience when dealing with these attacks. The single most important thing to do; find cover. Usually you had to play to stop the game otherwise he would keep throwing things and attacking unless you managed to find his headquarters somewhere in the house. I blame Jacob. He was the one who originally had the idea to have mini wars with Jamie but now they got out of hand.

I let go of Edward's hand and pushed him out of the way just before the water bombs hit the spot where we had been standing moments before. However, me being the clumsy person that I am, as well as Edward not expecting me to jump him, resulted in us both crashing to the ground with Edward falling on his back and me on top of him.

I blushed bright red and pushed myself off of him. "Sorry." I mumbled and held out my hand to him which he took and didn't let go when he was standing.

"It's ok." He smiled at me, rubbing his chest and wincing slightly. I probably winded him, or at least squashed him when we landed. I glanced back up at the window to see that Jamie was gone but there were a few parachute men floating slowly to the ground.

"Onwards men!" Jamie's voice shouted from the left side of the house and I saw him appear around the side of it a second later, holding one of his set of four walky-talkies. A fuzzy voice spoke through it and he frowned slightly. "Sorry." He said into the mouth piece. "Onwards men…and girls!"

With that said Laurent as well as Vicky and Irina jumped out of the bushed surrounding the front of the house, shouting loudly and all dressed in camouflaged clothing. No wonder we didn't see them before if that's what they were dressed in.

I glanced at Edward out of the corner of my eye and he raised his eyebrows at me. Obviously he wasn't planning on an attack but, then again, neither was I. "It's alright, James, we surrender." I stated and the four small children squealed happily, dancing together. That was another quick way to end the game when you couldn't win it but it also meant that the winning side could choose the next activity and you had to do it. The last time we played this Jamie won and he decided that make-over time with Alice was going to be the activity. I honestly haven't seen Jake glare at Jamie with more hatred than he had then. But that was probably because he was due to leave with Nessie a few moments later.

Edward looked at me questioningly but I shook my head. "Don't ask. You might want to escape now while you still can." I said quietly to him as I watched the four youngsters still celebrating.

He gave me his crooked grin and nodded. He turned to leave but hesitated and looked back at me. "Em…I was wondering…would you like to do something with me tomorrow? I mean…if you're not busy?" He asked nervously and looked at the ground avoiding my gaze.

A smile lit my face at the prospect of spending a whole day with him and the fact that he was so cute when he was nervous. "That would be great." I said warmly to him and his head snapped up, his eyes locking with mine.

"I'll pick you up at eight. We'll have to leave early if we want to have a decent amount of time at where I want to go." He explained as he smiled at the look of shock on my face. "Goodbye, Bella." He said and lifted my hand up, placing a soft kiss on my knuckles before walking back over to his car. I felt a goofy smile spread across my face as I watched him drive away and I clutched my hand to my chest, my skin still tingling where his lips had touched it.

I felt someone tugging on my shirt and looked down at Jamie as he smiled sweetly up at me. "Bella, can you make us chocolate brownies, please?" He asked and I nodded mutely, still too shocked to speak coherently. I, Bella Swan, was going on a date with Edward Cullen. I had to be dreaming.

_**A/N: The whole stereotypical thing was because I was watching a film and the Scottish stereotype was really over done…and one of my friend**__**'s rants exactly like that about it…its absolutely hilarious!**_

_**For those of you who don't know a '**__**true Scotsman'**__** is when a guy is wearing a kilt and doesn't wear anything underneath…no underwear.**_

_**There's a porridge advert on TV and it has a hot guy dressed in a kilt then a woman tells him she wants the porridge from the top shelf and he climbs the ladder…and basically the woman looks up his kilt with a grin on her face…creepy…**_

_**There you go! I updated! Woohoo! I still don't have any inspiration for my other stories I will update them when I can…thanks for reading!**_


	8. important

IMPORTANT!

I'm sorry if you guys thought this was an update and I honestly hate authors notes like this myself but this is the first time I've done this and I didn't want to have you waiting without knowing why I wasn't updating.

Anyway, I have my exams in a couple of weeks and five projects I need to get done in two weeks time each at 3000 words each so, as you can imagine, I'm pretty swamped.

I know I'm just giving excuses and everything but it is essential for me to pass my exams this year if I want to go to University and right now that's my number one priority.

So, I won't be updating for a couple of weeks but I will be trying to work on chapters for all my stories and as soon as my exams are over I will **update every story** with **at least** one chapter.

Again, sorry but I know I'll get distracted from my school work if I try and write chapters for my stories. I think the only story I will manage to update over the next few weeks is my new one **"Gone but not forgotten"** because I have already written a couple of chapters for that and I'm just waiting for a good enough response to post the next chapter.

So, if you want you can go read that or check out any of my other stories if you get bored and really desperate (which I certainly doubt).

I also have a poll on my profile and I'd really appreciate it if you vote.

Thanks everyone! I loved you all! :D

Sophia x


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